and in the process handed Steve Nicol the reins of the MLS All-Star team for the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game against Celtic FC -- to put an exclamation point on Week 12 in Major League Soccer over the weekend.
The Revolution put an end to a three-match winless run with another emphatic home victory against Toronto FC in Foxborough, this time by a 3-0 scoreline, and moved past the Kansas City Wizards -- who lost twice on the week -- and the idle New York Red Bulls into the East lead. With the victory, and the Wizards 1-0 loss on Sunday to Houston Dynamo, the former Scottish international Nicol will be in charge of the MLS All-Stars on July 19.
Real Salt Lake won for the first time in league play in 2007, putting an end to D.C. United's seven-game unbeaten run with a 2-1 victory on Saturday night, while Dynamo won for the fifth game in a row, following their Thursday night win against Chivas USA with the victory in Kansas City.
A 10-man Columbus Crew came away from the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 3-2 victory on Saturday -- their second win in the week, after knocking off K.C. at midweek -- while FC Dallas won for the third time in four games, getting the only goal in a road victory against the Colorado Rapids.
At Gillette Stadium, the Revolution were finishing off a four-game homestand after recording a loss and two draws in the first three games, while Toronto FC were heading out on a six-week road swing after having played seven of their eight previous matches at home, claiming all four victories on the season in that time.
But just as they had done in a 4-0 victory against TFC in April, the Revolution dominated from the outset and took the lead after just 13 minutes. Avery John sent a cross to the top of the Toronto area, but a fortunate bounce off defender Kevin Goldthwaite saw the ball bounce right into Andy Dorman's path, and he gleefully pounded home from 12 yards.
The Revolution doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark. Jeff Larentowicz swung in a cross from the right and Pat Noonan rose up to athletically send a looping header inside the left-hand post and double the lead.
New England finished off the rout as Dorman claimed his second nine minutes from the end. A wonderful tic-tac-toe passing movement finished with a heel to toe play, as Khano Smith's pass was back-heeled by Adam Cristman into Dorman's path in the area and he toe-bashed the ball past Srdjan Djekanovic inside the near post.
At Rice-Eccles Stadium, Real Salt Lake had started the league campaign with an MLS-record 11 games without a win, while D.C. United came to Utah having last lost in April, after opening the season with a three-game losing streak of their own.
Acquired just days before from the Los Angeles Galaxy, rookie Robbie Findley scored on either side of halftime to give RSL all the goals they would need. The goals were of similar fashion. In the 41st minute, a long ball from Jean-Martial Kipre bounced high over Bobby Boswell, and Findley spun around the United defender and raced in alone on goal, slotting the ball past United 'keeper Jay Nolly inside the left post for the opener.
Five minutes after the restart, Findley doubled the margin. A perfect through ball from Alecko Eskandarian caught out a pulled-up United back line, and Findley again raced in alone on Nolly -- who was making his United debut after being acquired from RSL in the offseason -- before finishing with aplomb.
A year ago Real snatched a 2-1 victory against United with two penalty kick goals after the 90th minute, and United brought back those memories when Luciano Emilio scored in the 87th minute. A cross wasn't dealt with and bounced around the goalmouth before Fred poked it to Emilio to prod home from close range, but that was as close as D.C. got.
At Arrowhead Stadium, the Wizards were returning home after a draw and a loss on a two-game road swing followed back-to-back wins, while Dynamo were riding high with a four-game winning streak that followed the low point of three consecutive losses.
The Wizards controlled the opening half-hour, and twice Pat Onstad was called upon to make saves from Scott Sealy when he was all alone in front of the Houston goal.
But the Dynamo defense held out and the visitors finally got the chance they were looking for in the 81st minute. Stuart Holden swung in a corner from the right and defender Patrick Ianni just stuck his head in front of Sasha Victorine to snap home his first career professional goal and give the Orange the victory.
At The Home Depot Center, both teams were coming off heartening victories. The Galaxy put an end to their five-game winless streak with a defeat of Real Salt Lake the weekend before, while the Crew were back on the road after snapping a seven-game winless skein with a victory against Kansas City at midweek.
An incident-filled match burst to life in the 15th minute when Chad Marshall opened the scoring, heading home a Guillermo Barros Schelotto free kick from the right corner. The Galaxy had a glorious opportunity to pull level 11 minutes later when Abel Xavier was bundled over in the area going for a corner, but Kyle Martino saw his penalty saved by Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer.
It would have huge ramifications in the 29th minute, when Columbus right back Ezra Hendrickson was sent off with a straight red card by referee Michael Kennedy for a tackle from behind on Chris Klein in midfield. Then the Crew had a chance to double the lead themselves 10 minutes later when L.A. defender Kyle Veris tripped up Eddie Gaven in the box, but for the second time in the game, a player saw a penalty saved by his former club when Joe Cannon sprung off his line to parry Ned Grabavoy's spot kick.
Still, it was the 10-man Crew who increased the margin in the 58th minute. Duncan Oughton won a long ball, flicking a header on into the area, where Gaven corraled it before playing a square pass under a defender for Grabavoy to bang into a wide-open goal
The Galaxy pulled within one eight minutes later. Cobi Jones hooked in a cross from the right and Gavin Glinton dove headlong forward to power a wildly acrobatic header into the upper corner for his first goal with Los Angeles. Yet the Crew once again answered in the 84th minute when Alejandro Moreno rose up completely unmarked amidst a static Galaxy defense and drove a header past Cannon to score against his one-time club.
In stoppage time, Edson Buddle scored against his former team when a cross was weakly punched out by Hesmer and Buddle swung his leg to send a side-volley bounding home. Hesmer saved the day with a fine save from Peter Vagenas at full stretch with almost the final kick of the game to ensure the Crew victory.
At Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Colorado had seen their losing streak extended to three games the weekend before at Chivas USA, while FC Dallas had their two-game winning streak snapped in a comprehensive defeat by Toronto FC.
A quiet opening 45 minutes was punctuated by a fine save by FCD 'keeper Dario Sala to deny Herculez Gomez, then the Hoops took the lead just after the hour.
A cross from the right found Carlos Ruiz, and he laid back for defender Clarence Goodson. Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul saved Goodson's low blast, but the ball squirted away and Juan Toja came it to poke it home from nearly on the goal line. It was Toja's fourth goal of the season, and the third where it's provided the final margin of victory.
Gomez had one final chance to save a point for Colorado in stoppage time but his half-volley from the top of the box whistled inches wide of the right post. The Rapids ended the game a man down after Ugo Ihemelu was sent off for a flying tackle on David Wagenfuhr near the touchline.
On Thursday at Robertson Stadium, Dynamo extended their winning while putting an end to Chivas USA's five-game unbeaten run with an emphatic 4-0 victory.
From the start, it was nearly all Dynamo, and the Orange took the lead after just five minutes. Brad Davis drove a free kick into the Chivas USA, but the deflection fell to Brian Mullan all alone at the top of the box, and he placed his shot just inside the right post for the opener. It was his first league goal since July 8, 2006 -- also against Chivas -- a span of 26 games.
After the break, it was the Brad Davis show, as he hit for his first professional hat trick. In the 55th minute, he chased down a ball on the left flank, laid it back to Wade Barrett, then raced unmarked into the area to collect the return pass. From an angle, he hammered a rising blast inside the far upper corner for his first league goal in 26 games, since July 15, 2006 (against the Kansas City Wizards).
Laurent Merlin saw a snap shot on the turn crash off the bar, then the game completely turned in the 66th minute. Joseph Ngwenya raced behind the Chivas defense, Shavar Thomas pulled him down just before the area from behind, and referee Jorge Gonzalez sent off the Chivas center back.
Davis then made it 3-0 with his second goal in the 70th minute. Ngwenya had shown good link-up play all night, and laid the ball back to Davis, who lashed a low drive past Chivas 'keeper Brad Guzan from outside the area. Brian Mullan was then hacked down as he skipped along the top of the Chivas penalty area, and Davis finished off his triple by converting from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.
On Wednesday at Crew Stadium, the Wizards lost for just the second time on the road on the season as the Crew won for the first time since April in a 2-1 victory.
Over the opening 45 minutes, neither goalkeeper was tested at all. Early in the second half, Sasha Victorine found himself all alone after a neat passing sequence, but Crew 'keeper Will Hesmer came out to deflect away the effort.
The Crew then scored twice in a six-minute span. First, Alejandro Moreno cut in from the left and sent a shot goalward. It was deflected into a group of players at the spot, fell to Eddie Gaven, and he buried a left-footed roller inside the right-hand post for his first goal of the year, in the 56th minute.
Then Guillermo Barros Schelotto flighted in a corner from the right. Stefani Miglioranzi was able to send a looping header goalward off his back foot, but sent it just off the fingertips of Kevin Hartman and just under the bar for his first goal with the Crew.
The Wizards spoiled Hesmer's shutout bid in stoppage time. A long ball was poorly cleared, just to the top of the area, and Jack Jewsbury stepped into the rebound, sending a low shot inside the right corner for his first goal of 2007.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
